In various situations, material is removed from a site or otherwise processed. For example, following a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or tornado, debris of various kinds may be removed from public areas (e.g., streets, roads, other rights-of-way, parks and other public spaces) and appropriately processed (e.g., vegetative material may be chipped or shredded; displaced and destroyed automobiles, water craft and appliances may be salvaged, etc.). As another example, a site clean-up operation may include the removal of contaminated soil or hazardous items, such as unexploded ordinance, hazardous chemicals, radioactive material, etc., from a particular location (e.g., a former industrial site or military installation) and appropriate subsequent processing of the unwanted material (e.g., the contaminated soil may be neutralized, unexploded ordinance may be safely detonated, hazardous chemicals or radioactive material may be neutralized or safely packaged for long term storage or disposal, etc.). As another example, bulk materials, such as dirt, clay, stone or other material may be moved from one location to another.
Various entities may be involved in processing or removal of unwanted materials, and other, different entities may pay for at least a portion of the processing or removal of the unwanted materials. For example, following a natural disaster, such as a hurricane or tornado, individual municipal entities (e.g., towns, cities, villages or counties) may be responsible for processing debris located within their boundaries, but the municipal entities may receive at least some funding for the removal or processing effort from a state or federal government agency (e.g., the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)). As another example, an entity that is reclaiming a former military site (e.g., the Department of Defense, the Army, etc.) may coordinate removal and/or safe disposal of unexploded ordinance, hazardous chemicals or contaminated soil, but the state may receive funding from the Department of Defense or the Environmental Protection Agency.